The Arizona sentinel., 1887-10-15
SYLVIA'S INVESTMENT.
How She Came to Make It, and
 What Came of It.

Did Sylvia Bentley come to see you to-dayP" asked young Mrs. Manning as she entered the cosy parlor in which her aunt was seated, and took off her bonnet preparatory to making a long call. 'I met her near here this morn- ing on my way to market and thought perhaps she had been in to consult you about that husband of hers,
 No" answered Mrs. Barton, 'she was not here; and I would be, prob ably, the last person she would ask for advice or assistance, for l was the most strenuous opposer of her mar riage. I had known Ernest Bentley from his childhood, and knew he was not calculated to make Sylvia happy. He is handsome, and has no particular vices; but he never succeeded in any thing. H, has no stability whatever, and lacks energy and purpose. l told Sylvia just what she might expect and begged her to give him up. but of course, it was of no use. A girl in love never will listen to reason"
 "How she has gone off in her looks" said Mrs. Manning, whose hus- band was prosperous hardware mer- chant. ''She was such pretty girl ten years ago"
 'I haven't seen her for along time," and Mrs. Barton sighed.
 "Then you would hardly recognize her now. She is pale, thin and weary looking. She passed me this morning with merely bow-and we were once so intimate! 1 suppose this last fail ure has crushed the life almost out of her. And what are they to do, Aunt Julia? They have five children, you know"
 Il am sure I can't tell. It is not likely Ernest will find another friend to start him in business. MT. S;ratton has suffered so heavily that no one else will want to try the experi- ment. l pity Sylvia from the bottom of my heart. :"
 Perhaps Aunt Andrews has left her something in her will.
 ''It is not probable. Cousin Penelope opposed the marriage almost as earn estly as I did. She often remarked that one might as well put water in a sieve as money in the hands of Ernest Bentley. It is likely, however, that sister Mary has been left something. She was sent for, and is at the An drews' house now to hear the will read. Cousin Penelope could not have left much to any one. for she. was obliged to live very economically, and never had cent to spare"
 There comes Aunt Mary now." said Mrs. Manning, as she glanced from the window by which she sat "Now we will kn ow all about the will"
 A moment later Mrs. Jessup-who was widow, and had made her home with her sister-in-law for many years-entered the room.
 You here, Fanniem she exclaimed, as she kissed Mrs. Manning affection ately. That is fortunate, for kno W you want to hear about my legacy. Well, it don't amount to much. I have the house, furniture, and person. al effects. The money, amounting to about sixteen hundred dollars, was left to Sylvia Bentley"
 ''To Sylviar' exclaimed Mrs. Barton. '1t don't seem possible! Was she there?"
 "Yes, and almost tainted with joy. It must have been a great relief to her to find Penelope had remembered her so generously, for know she has had hard work to get along since Ernest failed. There wa one condition made -she is to invest the money in some thing with which her husband is to have nothing to do. Not a dollar is to be controlled by him."
 "How humiliating to Sylvia to ac- cept it with such proviso," said Fannie.
 "Yes, but she has sense enough to know that Cousin Penelope intended it for the best Though she doesn't choose to talk about them, Sylvia knows perfectly well her husbands faults and failings. She took him for better or worse, and she makes the best of her bargain. If she has re- pented it she thinks it well to keep the fact to herself She has never uttered a word of complaint even to me-"
 But one can tell from her face that she has suffered a great deal, Aunt Mary" said Fannie, ''and I only hope she will invest her sixteen hundred dollars advantageously."
 ''The interest on it won't go very far. no matter how she invests it, said Mrs. Barton. Ernest Bentley will have to go to work at something. He ought not to be particular. With such g family dependent on him he can't eaOrd to consult his tastes"